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1949 Map of Foresthill

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Foresthill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Foresthill and the Forest Hill Divide dominate this landscape, illustrating the intense gold-mining legacy of Placer County. This 1949 field survey records an intricate network of hydraulic and hard-rock operations, from the Iowa Hill Mine and California Morning Star Mine in the northwest to the Paragon Mine and Baltimore Mine further south. The map captures the rugged ridge-top settlements and the deep canyons of the North Fork American River and Middle Fork American River.

Smaller outposts like Yankee Jims and Grizzly Flat appear alongside forestry infrastructure such as the Old Sugar Pine Guard Sta and a Ranger Sta. The presence of numerous named ravines and points, such as Mexican Gulch and Portuguese Point, reflects the fine-grained geography of the California Gold Country before mid-century modernization. Researchers can trace the era's transport via the local Landing Strip and a web of unimproved roads connecting the Tahoe National Forest slopes.